Medal of James Monroe

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Medal of James Monroe (1817), a finely crafted bronze portrait by Moritz Fürst, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing. Measuring just 2½ inches in diameter, this medallion captures the fifth U.S. President in classical profile, evoking the dignified style of ancient Roman coins. Such medals were prized 19th-century keepsakes, blending artistry with patriotism to honor national leaders. Struck in the year of Monroe's inauguration, the medal celebrates the dawn of his presidency amid the "Era of Good Feelings"—a time of post-War of 1812 unity and optimism. James Monroe, a Founding Father and architect of American expansion, symbolized stability and diplomacy. Fürst, a skilled engraver working in early America, employed precise bronze casting to achieve sharp details and a warm patina, techniques that elevated medals from mere tokens to sculptural gems. This piece, gifted to the Met in 1883, underscores the cultural role of portrait medals in fostering civic pride. Visitors, imagine slipping it into your pocket as a tangible link to Monroe's legacy—proof of art's power to immortalize history.

About the Artist

Moritz Fürst · 1782–1882

Moritz Fürst was a Hungarian-born engraver and medalist who became one of the most accomplished practitioners of his craft in the early United States. Born in Hungary in 1782, he acquired his technical training in European ateliers before emigrating to America, where he arrived in the early years of the nineteenth century and ultimately settled in Philadelphia — then the center of the young nation...